Improvement in marine drags



C. SEALS. Marine Drags.

.Ettornesz/s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.io-HN c. BEALs, 0E sEAEsroET, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MARINE DRAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,318, datedSeptember 30, 1873 application filed September 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BEALS, of Searsport, in the county of Waldoand in the State of Maine, have invented. certain new and usefulImprovements in Ships Drag; and do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereonmaking a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a device called a ships drag,77 composed of a central shank of metal,to which are attached wings,

one or more, made of stout plank or other' suitable material, by rods orbraces, and a series of ropes or guys to keep it in proper position andto operate it with when in use. Its object is for the purpose of Workinga disabled ship at sea in case of loss of rudder or other cause.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of my ships drag, and Figs. 2 and 3 aredetached views of certain parts thereof.

E is the shank, which may be constructed of iron or other metal. At itsouter end is a ring, W, for attaching the hawser or rope which connectsit with the ship. The shank forks at the other end, and is fastened byhinges T to wings or blades A, the rod G passing through thehinge-pieces on'the wings and through eyes in the ends of the fork, soas to hinge the whole together. N N are braces, hinged at their innerends to a sliding collar, S, on the shank E, their outer ends beingloosely attached to the eyebolts or shackles P 'P on the wings AA. Thesebraces keep the wings A at the same angle with the shank E, on which thecollar S moves freely up and down when the wings are opened or closed.

In the ships drag, as shown in the drawings, the wings A are made ofstout plank bolted together edgewise. They may, however, be made ofmetal, rubber, or canvas, or of any other material suitable for thepurpose.

L is a cross-piece on each wing A, near its outer end. 'These are inbea-rin gs to support the wing-pieces when shut together. H H areguy-ropes or lines which run from the shackles K, on each side of theshank E, to the eyebolts R on the wings. These guys bear the strainwhich comes upon the wings L near the end of the shank, and connect witha line on board the ship.

The edges of the wings may be weighted to insure their proper positionwhen in the water. I

To operate my device it is cast overboard, and the rope attached to theshank payed out to a proper distance from the ship and securelyfastened. In preventing a ship from drifting to leeward the drag is castover from the bow of the vessel, where the rope attached to it is madefast 5 the trippingline is loosed, and the wings open, checking thedrift of the vessel to leeward and bringing her head to the wind,thereby preventing her from getting into the trough of the sea. Whenused to steer with it is fastened by the rope to the deck near thestern, a spar being projected from each quarter, and the drag veeredfrom one side to the other with pulleys or tackles.

The buoy U attached to the ring W keeps the shank in a horizontalposition while in the water.

When it is desired to haul the drag aboard the vessel, by pulling -uponthe trip-line O the wings A A are folded up against the shank E, and inthis form it can be readily `drawn from the water and snugly stored ondeck without taking but little space, where it will be at all timesready for use.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe folding wings A A, hinged braces N N, collar S, shank E, andtrip-rope O, all combined and adapted to operate as a marine drag,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this7th day of September, 1872.

JOHN C. BEALS. Witnesses C. L. EVER/E, W. T. C. RUNNELLs.

